Electric-railway system



(No Model.) Q V Q G. WESTINGHOUSE, Jr. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

No. 591,314. Patented 001;. 5,1897.

I F F I? v I 5 I P 5 If: f.5"-5 I b 6 Fial.

A TTORNE VS.

electric-railway system having sectional trol- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE- WESTINGHOUSE, JR, on PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591 ,314, dated October 5, 1897.

' Application filed Fehruary19,1894. Serial No. 500,721. (No model.)

, To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WESTING- HOUSE, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing in Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric-Railway Systems, (Case No. 575,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved system of supply for electric railways; and the object of my invention is to supply a system wherein surface conductors may be employed, delivering large current at a low potential, and wherein nearly all leakage is avoided.

One object of my invention is to supply an N ley-conductors which normally carry no ourrent,but which are connected electrically with feeders when the car comes-in contact wit-h any given section, and wherein this electrical connection is accomplished without movement of parts by contact with the moving car and by devices which cannot be interfered with by malicious or mischievous persons.

My invention is particularly adapted to use with cars which are drivenby alternating currents, wherein feeders are supplied with hightension currents and themselves feed tensionreducing converters for the production of large low-voltage currents at local points, but

I wish it understood that my invention also applies to continuous-current systems.

One of the advantages of my present invention is its applicability to various constructions of railway, the position of the supplyconductors and contact-trolleys with regard to the cars being immaterial.

My invention is shown in the illustrative embodiment in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of a double-track road, showing the relation of contact-boxes to sectional conductors. Fig. 2 is atransve'rse vertical section of my road, showing a single track. Fig. 3 is a diagram of the bottom of a car equipped with my invention, showing the relation of the contact rolleror trolley to the motor and car; and Fig. 4c is an enlarged View of one form of magnetic-contact maker illustrating my invention.

My invention contemplates the use of a double row of contact-conductors lying parallel with the car-rails and electricallydivided into sections, as shown in Fig. 1. These conductors may be of any desired form and may be supported in any well-known position with relation to the cars. In the form shown by me I prefer to use rails 1 and 2, supported, preferably, by Wooden beams or ties 3, upon the level of the street, and in such a position as to obstruct traffic as little as possible. The relation of these conductors to the rails at is a matter of fancy independent of my invention. Indeed one of the supporting-rails may be identical with one of the oonductingn'ails, if desired,.as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, when the rail 1 is to be omitted.

Upon the car is'carried a contact device or trolley, which is shown as running-upon the rails 1 and 2,'but is of course formed and supported in a manner to correspond to the specific mode of support for the supply-conductors which may be chosen by the judgment of the constructor. In any case this contact device consists of two conducting-collectors, preferably rollers, insulated from each other, and respectively connected to the terminals of an electric battery or other source of electricity carried upon the car.

Every alternate pair of rail-sections or such others as maybe desired maybe left dead, as the cars can then be constructed to be fed. from either or both ends and can thus be at any time started from a position of rest.

These dead rails may then be placed at crossings or other points where it is desirable to have no electrically-charged devices. I have found eight-foot rails to be convenient for my purpose, but of course do not limit my inven tion to the use of these dimensions.

At intervals I place a contact-box 5, from which four or more sections of conductors are supplied by feeders 6, in the case of a twotrack road. In each of these boxes a magnetic switch 7 is placed for each section of conducting-rail supplied from a given box. Any form of magnetic switch may of course be employed in this connection. In the form illustrated a swinging-bar armature Sis used,

As shown in dotted lines, all

Upon the field-magnet 9 is wound a coil, the two ends of which are carried to the two rails 1 and 2. Upon the armature is fixed the movable member 2 of a switch, whereby connection may be made between one terminal 15 of the source of electricity and one or both of the leads from the magnet to the conducting-rails, as shown in Fig. 2 at 16, wherein the source of electricity is the secondary of a converter 10, fed from high-tension mains 6. The other terminal of the secondary is connected to the return-rails upon which the car runs, as shown.

One of the leads between the supply-rails 1 2 and the magnet 9 therefore serves at once to carry the battery-current and the dynamo or driving current. Neither the battery-current nor the armature is of course affected by the driving-current, as both wires 17 and 18 are subjected to the same dynamo potential,

one directly and the other through the coil on 7, the return being through the ground.

The operation of my invention is as follows: hen a car enters upon a given section of conductor with the battery-switch 19 closed, the current from the batter energizes the magnet 9 and closes the switch, completing the circuit through the motor and wheels of the car and the source of current-as, for instance, the secondary of 10. The rails 1 2 thus become duplicate conductors of approximately the same potential, and the contacts or rollers become a trolley which establishes connection between the source of current and one terminal of the motor. When the car passes off of this section, the magnet 9 is decnergized and the switch is opened either by the weight of the armature or by any other well-known means. I prefer to use two or three pairs of contacts 13 on each car, as shown in Fig. 3, in order that continual contact with at least one pair of live conductingrails may be insured. These contacts are of course all usually connected to the same terminal of the driving motor or motors. It will be evident that it is advisable to insulate the conducting-rails 1 and 2 as far as possible from the ground, but where low tension and large quantity are employed this feature becomes less important. Of course the two members of the trolley must be insulated from each other, as indicated at 14.

I do not limit myself to the details of construction as shown in this case, since these comprise but one embodiment of my general invention.

tions in multiple during the passage of the car, substantially as described.

2. In an electric railway, sectional working conductors the sections of which are arranged in laterally-disposed pairs, a pair of contact devices carried by the car and insulated from each other and adapted to bear on said workin g conductors, a source of current carried by the car and havingits terminals respectively connected to said pair of contact devices, electromagnetic switches the coil of each of which is permanently connected to a pair of working-conductor sections in multiple, and a stationary source of current which is c011- nected to said pairs of working-conductor sections in multiple by said switches when energized, substantially as described.

3. In an electric railway, a main source of current and a pair of working conductors arranged side by side, in combination with an electromagnet, wires connecting the terminals of the coil of said magnet with the two working conductors, means carried by the car for supplying exciting-current to said working conductors, an armature controlled by said magnet, a movable switch member actuated thereby and directly connected electrically with said wires in multiple, and a fixed switch member connected electrically with one terminal of said source of current, substantially as described.

4. In an electric railway, a main source of current, an electromagnetic switch for making temporary connection therewith, a generator on the car and working conductors arranged in laterally-disposed pairs between said switch and said generator and connected to the latter for difference of potential, and to said main source of current for approximately identical potential, substantially as described.

5. In an electric railway, two lines of sectional working conductors, a main source of current, an electromagnetic switch for making temporary connection therewith, said switch being provided with a single actuating-coil, a generator on the car, a two-part traveling contact device, a circuit including the generator, the two parts of the contact device and the switch-actuating coil in series, and a circuit closed by said switch but independent of said coil, and connecting 'said main source of current with the two parts of said contact device in multiple, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 15th day of February, A. D. 189%.

GEO. \VESTINGIIOUSE, JR.

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